A Reluctant Bride (26 page)

Sadie was confused. “Aren't all those
gut
things?”

Abigail shook her head. “She hasn't cried, Sadie. She hasn't mentioned
Mamm
and
Daed
. Not once.”

Her fingers clasped together, Sadie cringed. Other than when she read
Mamm
's letters, she hadn't shed a tear either. She also hadn't talked to anyone about her parents. It seemed like she wasn't behaving that different from Joanna.

But if Abigail and the therapists were worried about that behavior, did that mean there was something wrong with her too?

“There's more. She apologizes constantly. If she has to ask for help, she says she's sorry. If she falls asleep while I'm visiting, she promises never to do it again. I don't care if she sleeps while I'm here. She's so tired, she needs it.” Abigail looked at Sadie. “But that's not the strangest part. Andrew sent her flowers. They arrived the second day she was here.”

Sadie smiled at the sweet gesture. Since she hadn't talked to Andrew Beiler since the accident, he would have had to do a bit of sleuthing to find out where Joanna was. “That was nice of him.”

“I found them in the trash the next morning. When I asked Joanna about it, she ignored me. I even started to pick them up, thinking someone had accidentally thrown them away.” She pressed her teeth against her bottom lip. “That was the only time she's shown any real emotion. She yelled at me not to touch them. So . . . I left them in the trash can.”

“Why would she do that?”

“I don't know. I mentioned it to the therapists yesterday, and they think she has survivor's guilt. She's upset that she's alive—”

“And
Mamm
and
Daed
aren't,” Sadie finished for her. The words pierced her heart. It made sense. Joanna had been in the accident with them. Sadie had no idea what Joanna had witnessed or what she remembered. Her heart went out to her sweet little sister. “Did they say when she can come home?” Maybe being around familiar surroundings would help.

Then again, being home hadn't eased Sadie's pain.

“They're not sure.” At Sadie's frown, Abigail added, “As much as I want to
geh
home, I don't want her to leave until she's
ready. The good thing in all this is that Mary and her
familye
are wonderful. I don't know why we never visited them before. They've been very supportive of both Joanna and me.” Abigail smiled, the first smile since Sadie's arrival. “I can't wait for you to meet them. I've also gone to church with them, and everyone is very friendly. They've welcomed me with open arms.”

“That's
gut
to hear.” The tightness in Sadie's shoulders eased a fraction. She was glad Abigail had family support, even if that family were almost strangers.

Abigail looked at her wrist, and Sadie noticed she was wearing a watch. “Where did you get that?”

“Mary gave it to me.” She looked guilty. “Don't tell anyone, please? It's easier to keep track of time, especially if I'm somewhere like this courtyard, where there isn't a clock on the wall.”

“I won't say a word.” She knew Bishop Troyer wouldn't approve, though Sadie didn't care what the man thought anymore. But she wouldn't get her sister in trouble over something as insignificant as temporarily wearing a wristwatch.

“
Danki
.” She tapped the silver face of the watch. A thin black band was fastened around Abigail's wrist. “We should get back.”

Sadie nodded, but she didn't move. Guilt threatened to devour her, not only because she hadn't been here for her sisters. She couldn't continue without telling Abigail the truth. She took her sister's hand.

“Sadie?” Abigail frowned and gripped Sadie's fingers. “Something is wrong, isn't it? I knew it.”

“Not wrong, exactly.” Oh, this was hard. “Abigail, I'm sorry I haven't called or visited sooner. I love you and Joanna. I need you to know that.”

“We do.” Abigail's eyes grew shiny. “Mary and her family are
gut
people, but you and Joanna . . .” She wiped underneath
her eye with the forefinger of her free hand. “You two are all I have left.”

The lump returned to Sadie's throat, and she could barely speak. “I hope you can forgive me,” she whispered.

“Sadie, you're scaring me. What happened?”

“I got married.”

Abigail's face remained completely still. “What?”

“I married Aden Troyer earlier this week.”

Her eyes widened until Sadie thought she had to be in pain. “I must be more tired than I thought because it sounded like you said you
married Aden
.”

Sadie nodded, wincing. “I did.” She quickly explained—more accurately, lied—to Abigail about how she and Aden had courted in secret. That they had fallen in love. She repeated the same story Aden had told his father—the same story she would be telling everyone before long.

Her sister continued to gape at her in disbelief. “Oh my—”

“Don't say it,” Sadie warned.

“I can't believe it.” Abigail removed her hand from Sadie's. “I don't know which is more shocking, that you got married or that you married Aden.” Then her stunned expression turned hard. “I can't believe you kept this from me. From us. You know
Mamm
wanted you to get married. She worried that
nee mann
would put up with you.”

“Thanks a lot,” she mumbled.

“You lied to us.”

Sadie clasped her hands tightly together. She was still lying to them. To everyone. But she couldn't go back now. It was too late to revise the story into the truth. “I'm sorry.”

Abigail shot up from the bench. “How could you get married without me and Joanna being there?”

“I—we couldn't wait any longer.”

“You couldn't wait a month?” Abigail started to pace, then froze. “
Nee
,” she said. “You're not . . .”

Sadie realized what Abigail was getting at and held up her hand. “I'm not pregnant,” she said, her face flaming.

“Then why the hurry? I don't understand.”

Sadie had to tell her a bit of the truth. “I'm being practical,” she said, ironically using the same word the bishop had used when he'd told her she had to marry. “Aden has been a big help to me.” Which was also true. He'd cleaned the barn, taken care of the horses, tended to the yard . . . and saved her from Sol.

Abigail plopped back down on the bench. “You're the most independent of us all,” she said, looking dazed. “You're the one who said you were going to take over the store when
Daed
retired. That you didn't need a
mann
.”

“That was before the accident,” Sadie said softly. “Everything changed after that.”

Her sister turned to her. “
Ya
,” she said softly. “It did.” She finally smiled. “I want you to tell me everything.” Abigail faced her, a curious—and slightly mischievous—spark in her eyes. “What's it like to be married? What do you love about Aden? How did you know he was the one for you?” She sighed. “I've wondered if Joel's the one for me. He called me earlier this week. We couldn't talk long, but it was
gut
to hear his voice.”

Sadie felt an unexpected pinch of jealousy. Both her sisters had young men who cared about them. Yes, Aden was kind, polite, considerate, and as he showed yesterday, protective. But he didn't care for her, not in the way Joel and Andrew cared about Abigail and Joanna. There were no feelings between them. No romance. They were both victims of his father.

The thought used to fill her with resentment. Now it saddened her. They both deserved more than a forced marriage.

Abigail nudged Sadie, dragging her out of her thoughts. “Here's a little secret. I always thought Aden liked you.”

Sadie's head jerked up. “You did?” Sol's words rattled around in her brain.
He loves you. That's why he married you.
At the time they hadn't registered, and she hadn't recalled what he'd said until now.
He was drunk. I can't take anything he says at face value.

But now Abigail was saying he liked her. And not in the polite, considerate way either. “You never said anything,” Sadie said, rubbing the end of one of the
kapp
ribbons between her fingers.

“Pot, meet kettle.”

Sadie couldn't help but chuckle. “Noted.”

“It wouldn't have mattered anyway.” Abigail waved her hand. “You'd have argued with me and told me he didn't like you. Little did I know I was right.” Her grin turned sly. “What I never would have guessed is that you liked him. I didn't realize you were so
gut
at keeping
yer
feelings to yourself.”

But Sadie was barely listening to her. “Why did you think that?” she blurted. “About Aden. That he, uh, liked me.”

“There were little things. I'd see him watching you during the service. He always managed to sit on the bench directly opposite of you.”

She'd noticed him there, too, but thought it was coincidence.

“And at the singing at the Troyers'—the night before . . . the accident. He was trying to hide it, but he couldn't stop staring at you. At the time it didn't make sense, but now I see he can't keep his feelings a secret as well as you can.” She squeezed Sadie's hand. “Don't get me wrong. I'm still upset you got married without us there. But if you're happy, then I'm happy.”

Sadie hugged Abigail. While she couldn't admit to being
happy, she didn't feel as desperate. After Aden sent Sol away, something had shifted between them. She wasn't sure what, just like she couldn't bring herself to believe Abigail was right about Aden's feelings. Her sister was a true romantic, down to her core. If Aden had cared anything about her, he wouldn't have left her alone at the cornfield.

But hadn't he made up for that? More than once?

Abigail released her. “We should get back. I'm sure Joanna's finished with therapy by now.”

As they walked back inside the building and to Joanna's room, Sadie felt lighter than she had in long time. She had no idea how Joanna would react to the news, but it felt good that Abigail was on her side.

When they reached Joanna's room, it was still empty. “She had a roommate,” Abigail said, gesturing to the empty bed nearest to the door. “She was discharged yesterday. Joanna gave her a huge hug and said she was so happy for her. I think the woman was shocked, but she hugged her back.” She turned to Sadie. “I hope she's not overdoing it again. We can meet her in the therapy room. Sometimes they'll let me wheel her to her room when she's finished working with the physical therapist.”

Sadie nodded and followed Abigail down the hall to a large room. When they walked inside, Sadie saw Joanna right away. She was standing between two parallel bars, struggling to drag one foot in front of the other. As they neared, she could see the trickles of perspiration sliding down the sides of her face. She and Abigail stopped a few feet away and watched their determined sister fight to walk to the end of the bars.

Joanna started to turn around when a short, whipcord-thin woman with a long gray braid down her back went to her. “That's it for today, Joanna.”

“One more time.” Joanna's chest was heaving and her arms were shaking underneath the long sleeves of her plum-colored dress.

“No,” the woman said sternly. “You're risking injuring yourself further.”

“That's Mrs. Triskett, the physical therapist,” Abigail said to Sadie.

“I'm sorry,” Joanna said and allowed Mrs. Triskett to help her to the wheelchair. Joanna collapsed in the chair, although a strained smile remained on her face. “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

“You don't have to thank me, Joanna.” The wrinkles around her red-painted lips deepened as she smiled. “I wish all my patients were as determined as you.” She glanced up, her gaze meeting Abigail's, her smile dimming slightly.

Sadie watched as her sister exchanged a knowing glance with Mrs. Triskett before the woman said, “Abigail's here, and it looks like you have another visitor.”

Joanna turned, her hands going to her mouth as her eyebrows lifted. “Sadie!” She whirled around, nearly bumping into Mrs. Triskett. “Sorry!” she called out as she rolled over to Abigail and Sadie.

Although she knew her sister was struggling, Sadie couldn't keep from smiling. It was so good to see Joanna despite the wheelchair and the healing scar on her face. She bent down and hugged her, feeling the heat coming from Joanna's sweat-soaked skin.

“I'm so glad you're here.”

Sadie pulled away and crouched in front of the wheelchair. “I'm sorry I didn't come sooner.”

“It's okay.” Joanna's smile stretched across her face.

The surgical thread had been removed from the cut that traveled from the top of her cheek to her chin, but Sadie could see the small red slashes and holes where the stitches had been. Tears instantly welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

“I'm sure you had a
gut
reason,” Joanna added.

“She did,” Abigail said. “Sadie got married.”

For a split second the smile slid from Joanna's face and something flared in her eyes. Sadie wasn't sure what it was, and it was gone before she could figure it out. “That's wonderful!” Joanna said, her voice echoing in the empty physical therapy room. “I'm
so
happy for you!”

“Guess who our new brother-in-law is?”

Sadie glanced over her shoulder and up at Abigail. Her sister was enjoying this a little too much.

“I'm sure whoever he is, he's perfect.”

Gripping the sides of Joanna's wheelchair, Sadie fought to keep smiling. She now understood what Abigail was talking about. Joanna was too bright, too excited. Her sister's skin had to hurt from being stretched into such a huge grin, but she kept looking at Sadie with intense love and an overabundance of joy.